Greg Janney's 2008 escort of Gold Star dad John Wroblewski to site in Ramadi where his son, USMC 2Lt J.T. Wroblewski, ten other Marines, and a Navy Corpsman were killed in an ambush on 6 April 2004. This first visit and memorial service at the actual site in Iraq was to honor all twelve men of 2/4 Marines lost that day.
Iraq's reconstruction, security, and the religious genocide of Iraq's native Christians are also featured.

About Me

Professional photographer since 1985, I specialize in aerial, commercial, corporate, military, USDA photography of National Forests, event photography, and am also honored to have the chance to photograph families, reunions, seniors, and weddings. My Iraq 2008 trip was my second independent embed assignment in Iraq.
I am currently writing a book, "A Father's Journey to Iraq" detailing my 2 trips to Iraq with Gold Star father John Wroblewski.

28 May 2012

“Official
definition for Memorial Day: Originally called “Decoration Day,” the
holiday began with a proclamation in 1868 by General John Logan
designating May 30th as a day to place flowers on or otherwise decorate
the graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War. Soon thereafter, the
annual tradition of visiting cemeteries and holding parades to honor
fallen soldiers in all American wars became widespread.But
it wasn’t declared a national holiday until 1971 when Congress changed
the name and moved the date to the last Monday in May, creating a new
three-day weekend.”Unfortunately,
these changes make it easy to forget or ignore the Day’s solemn
purpose, and, for many Americans, Memorial Day is just the unofficial
beginning of summer (e.g., “the day public pools open”) and an
opportunity to stay home from work or school to picnic with soda, beer,
and barbecues.Today we remember the sacrifices of U.S. service members worldwide who gave their lives for the pursuit of freedom for all. Forever remember the Families of the Fallen, and honor our Soldiers, Military Families, and Friends.I
once saw a Memorial Day cartoon depicting a car passing an ignored
military cemetery alongside a well-travelled country road. Not even
noticing the cemetery, the driver says, to his wife: “Blanket? Cooler?
Grill? Hot dogs? Did I forget anything?”Yes, he did. Like his countrymen who neglected the cemetery, he forgot to remember why he had the day off. In
an effort to revitalize interest in honoring all military men and women
who died in the service of their country, a Presidential Proclamation
was issued in 2000 establishing a “National Moment of Remembrance” and
declaring: Memorial
Day represents one day of national awareness and reverence, honoring
those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values.
While we should honor these heroes every day for the profound
contribution they have made to securing our Nation’s freedom, we should
honor them especially on Memorial Day [by encouraging] Americans
everywhere to pause for one minute at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial
Day, to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to
provide freedom for all. Including
those who died in the first half of 2011, more than 600,000 countrymen
have been killed fighting for their country. A moment of solemn
reflection is such a tiny payment for such a great service.As
we approach the Memorial Day weekend I’d like to share my response to
an interview I gave a few years ago where the reporter asked me to give a
personal connotation from a combat veteran’s perspective about Memorial
Day. Most
of you that know me personally understand that I never miss an
opportunity to ‘share’ my view and ‘educate’ the many willing to listen
about proper etiquette, so here is my response:“Memorial
Day was set aside to honor the dead and decorate their graves. It is a
day with special meaning to us veterans. It's a free country; everybody
doesn't need to mark the day in somber fashion. But here are some points
of etiquette from a vet’s point of view:1) Memorial Day is 'observed' as opposed to 'celebrated'2)
Don’t thank vets for their service- Veteran's day is on November 11- my
service was far less ‘costly’ than my honored comrades3) Please don’t say 'happy Memorial Day'Once in your life, go to the ceremony at the end of the parade. They'll explain the history of Memorial Day, read the Gettysburg Address and render funeral honors. I’ve
organized a firing detail in theatre, a few fallen friends’ funerals
and also at the Los Angeles National Cemetery Memorial Day remembrance
ceremony and will never have dry eyes at Taps again.” Personally,
the hardest part of coming home for me has been the disconnect with
folks that have never worn a uniform and those whom haven’t deployed to
theater.Memorial Day, at least for me, is where that disconnect is most apparent.I hope you will take at least that minute today at 3:00 p.m. local time to
reflect and venerate for the immense and immeasurable sacrifice of
millions of soldiers, airmen, sailors, coastguardsmen and Marines past
and present who fought for and died protecting the freedoms and
privileges we all enjoy. And while you are at it, think about and
remember the thousands of American troops who are still in harm’s way in
Afghanistan and in the Horn of Africa. And if you miss the opportunity
at 3 p.m., please find another time to commemorate them.“Semper Fi”Willie EllerbrockSemper Fidelis:Semper Fidelis
distinguishes the Marine Corps bond from any other. It goes beyond
teamwork—it is a brotherhood that can always be counted on. Latin for
"always faithful," Semper Fidelis
became the Marine Corps motto in 1883. It guides Marines to remain
faithful to the mission at hand, to each other, to the Corps and to
country, no matter what. Becoming a Marine is a transformation that
cannot be undone, and Semper Fidelis is a permanent reminder of that. Once made, a Marine will forever live by the ethics and values of the Corps.